What’s on the iPod: Bittersweet by Feist
Yesterday was an interesting mix of marketing, communications gone awry, and paying out what I don’t have. A few marketing notes back to conference attendees confused the recipients. Can’t go into detail, but let’s just say in one case, my attempt to repeat back a humorous exchange failed when the client forgot he’d even said it. Daughter’s car needed fixing. She’s working as a waitress, so when the $1,600 bill came in, I was tapped to help. Had I not just paid taxes…
Anyway, Daughter came home from yet one more interview in which she was told she needed experience before she’d be hired. What steams me about this particular interview — it was with a temp agency specializing in placing college grads into entry-level positions. Someone somewhere sucks at sticking to the company’s core focus. Clearly, the person telling her this has no real clue what the job market is like for college grads. Shameful, if you ask me, since it’s their entire business model.
There she is in a Catch 22. She can’t advance in any career because she can’t find anyone who will hire her and give her experience. Yet she’s over-qualified (or so she’s been told) for positions that could get her in the door. This from the internship company she worked with — he said he was doing her a favor because she was too smart and talented for the receptionist job (he’s right– she’s smart, talented and driven). My daughter is probably wondering why she spent so much money to get a piece of paper that’s proving to be the biggest barrier to her career. She wants to prove herself at something, yet no one will give her the opportunity. Unless, of course, she wants to be in sales. There’s no shortage of low-paying sales jobs.
Sounds a bit like freelancing, doesn’t it? When we’re first starting out, we can’t find decent work. Clients who would pay what we’re worth won’t because they’re not seeing the beefy portfolio to back it up. The jobs open to us seem to be nothing but content mills, free-exposure gigs, and work that pays less than you’d tip a waitress. In other words, garbage.
So how do any of us overcome the Catch 22 career rut?
Build samples. Please don’t take this to mean “Work for free” or “Take to the content mills.” No way you should do either. I know some people say it’s fine to work for free. I say if the person you’re working for makes money off your work, so should you. The exception — nonprofits, and only those you choose to volunteer your skills toward.
Instead, you should be creating samples to put on your own website. Clients want to see how you’d write that press release, brochure, article, etc. That’s the only free writing I advocate — writing for yourself in order to advance your career.
Find a friend. In my daughter’s case, she has a mother who’s asking around and trying to help her find someone who can give her a leg up.This company she’d just interviewed with was one of those contacts. This may still work out for my daughter (this was the company manager who condescended to her, not the recruiter). Meanwhile, she’s still reaching out to anyone who will listen.
For you, ask within your circle of friends and family, and also within your writing community. Where are some good starting points? Who has had luck with what starter opportunities? Who needs someone to collaborate on a project so you can get a clip?
Find alternative ways to get the experience. My daughter has just become my intern (a paid one). I’ll have her work with me and for me to help her build her resume. There are more ways to skin a cat, I say. If it’s experience they think she needs, she’ll get it right here at home. Plus I have marketing friends she can shadow for a day or two to answer any more questions.
For you, try blogging or guest posting for some of the blogs you frequent. Please, make sure they are ones you frequent — if you’re not a regular or even semi-regular, you’ve no right to ask to speak to the blogger’s audience. You don’t know it.
How about creating and posting an e-newsletter? Or start your own blog on your topic area? Use social media tools to get the word out (but don’t be obnoxious about it). Grow it organically and use the content as proof you can write.
Those starter opportunities. My daughter has been offered countless internships — unpaid, of course. Instead, she chose to muck it out at the restaurant and stick to her plan to find a decent-paying entry-level job with a company smart enough to hire a bright young woman. I applaud her choice, because I think the unpaid internship has become the real-world version of our infamous “free exposure” gig. Companies have figured out how to get free labor, and I think it’s slimy. However, I digress…
For you, you don’t need to take the slimy free-exposure gigs, either. Here are some great places to start — local newspapers, regional magazines, resume companies, local charities (if you’re okay with donating some time in exchange for the clip, but do check to see if they’re willing to pay), overflow work from writers you know who are busy… the list goes on. No matter where you are, there’s someone needing help who can pay a decent rate for it.
Writers, how did you overcome the Catch 22?
New writers, what seems to be your biggest obstacle right now?
Create a position for yourself at the company that interests you. Study the company, study their needs, and give them a proposal that convinces them they can't live without you.
If the job's not there, and I'm anxious to work somewhere – I create the position.
From the freelancing perspective, if had one thing to do over, I would have had freebies ready to go from the start – your free white paper, report, eBook, what have you. It showcases what you can do, is a great marketing tool, and can drive traffic to your site.
P.S. The April gods must be snickering. I had a double-shot of taxes (2011 & estimated 2012), medical bills, and an anchor client who for the 1st time is more than a month behind on a large check. And a family wedding to attend in early May…sigh…
I have to jump in on this one. First, I've made a career out of the kind of commission based sales you refer to and have turned it into a satisfying and well paying career over the years.
Second, if your daughter is up against the wall with her job search then she could be well advised to move to an area where the pockets are much deeper than where she's living at this time.
It takes industry with deep pockets to be able to provide those jobs with a decent paycheck and benefits, and who are willing to provide OJT. Think Apple, Intel, Cisco, HP.
Chuck
I'm not a fan of the Catch 22! Until recently, I'd never realized that it applies as much in freelancing as it does in typical employment.
I'm in that situation right now as I've moved away from content mills, bidding sites, etc. It's not the easiest thing in the world, but tips like the ones in this article have seemed to help.
Nothing to say on this topic believe it or not! But I like the article … hugs to your daughter.
Devon, that's super advice. It's what I'm telling Daughter, too. It applies in all jobs!
Cathy, so true. Those freebies for yourself are the best advertisements you could have.
And same here with the expenses right when we DON'T need them!
Chuck, great to have you comment again! Commission-based sales isn't for everyone, so I'm very glad to hear you have what it takes to make it in that biz! What kind of sales are you doing, if you don't mind my asking?
Daughter is in an area with deep pockets already (Philadelphia), so that's not it. What I advised her was to look at the industries that are thriving and get a toehold in one of those companies. Like you said, the big guns! Insurance and healthcare management, too. Both still very liquid.
Brie, I can't imagine you are a fan! 🙂 Reread Cathy's comment, and the advice on this post. I think if you can put those types of clips together on your own, you shouldn't need much more to start.
Anne, hugs back atcha. She'll be fine once we get her the experience they think she needs so badly. And believe me — once I work her through her paces, she'll be thankful to get a job somewhere else! 🙂
Lori, since you are already in an area of deep pockets here's an idea that you might throw into the mix for the job search.
Sign up your daughter as your sales rep for some kind of split. Now she's walking into the doors of these deep pockets not seeking a job, but seeking to help them become more successful by introducing them to Widmer Writing Services, or whatever you call yourself. There's a BIG difference between contacting a company as a potential employee and offering them a valuable resource. The people and motivations are all different.
All of what I have sold for the last 40 some years has not required me to have a resume, a license, nor a portfolio. All have been products or services I can sell to businesses. For the last ten years I've been selling promotional products that requires no capital, no bricks and mortar. It does require that one invests the time to learn the business and the various forms of artwork required to meet the customer and factory requirements.
Besides being able to take a look-see from another door selling also provides automatic increases as the economy and inflation numbers change. If we dive into another recession you're still not unemployed, your paycheck just goes down, and when the economy rebounds so does your paycheck, and if things cost 10% more this year than last so does your paycheck. And that's how I see it.
Chuck, I definitely need a guest post from you! Interested in teaching us your methods?
Lori, thanks for your kind words. At this point I doubt I'd have anything impressive to say to those who read your blog on a regular basis. As it turns out, the reason I've been following you for the last few years is that you're one of the few who has really thought out the challenges that face any kind of freelancer, whether they be writing, selling, or fixing the refrigerator.
At this point the ideas I've thrown out are purely what I consider to be "whydonchas". We don't know who owns this problem, and we don't know if the proprietor wants either of us involved, if we can read between the lines with some degree of cloudy vision.
The fun of selling comes into play with the problem solving experiences. But, first we have to understand that there's a problem to be solved, and that's where the rubber meets the road.
Chuck
How did I miss you blog yesterday? (Oh, right: I told client I was taking a couple days off and wound up with a trio of edits to get done.)
When I saw Chuck's second commnent, my thought was, "If he doesn't already have a book on the market, he better be writing one!"
Funny, Lori, I'm actually in the process of writing a "freebie" right now. 🙂 Very good advice. I know a lot, but I need to let prospects know that!
Damn right, Paula! Chuck, you hearing her? 🙂
Good for you, Brie! Let us know how we can help.